Coupling.



G. MATSON a P. ROBERTSON.

OOUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE e. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Witness@ PATBNTBD DEO. 13, 1904.

InventorS V l n ttomeg lIO No. rrr/,eea

NTTE STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

COUPLING..

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0- 77'7,383, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed June 6, 1904. Serial No. 211,423. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, CHRIST MATsoN and PE- TEE ROBERTSON, citizens ot the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Coupling', of which the Jfollowing is a speciiication.

This invention relates to that form of shaftcouplings known as universah and has for its object to improve the construction and increase theeiiiciency and at the same time decrease the expense of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, which will appeal' as the nature et' the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features 0i' construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the p reierred i'orm oi the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape,- proportions, and general assemblage oi' the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing' any of its advantages, and the right is therefore reserved of making all the changes and modifications which fairly tall within the scope of the invention and the claims made therefor.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view with. one shaft portion in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Eig. 3 is a side clevation with the socket member and locking-ring in section. Fig. 4L is a perspective view of the socket member detached. Fig. 5 is a plan View oil the locking-ring detached. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the locking-ring on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The improved device comprises a socket member 10, having a semispherical cavity in one end, with means, such as an integral hub or sleeve 11, i'or receiving' the shaft-section 1Q. Projecting inwardly from the outer face oi the socket member are spaced lugs 13, and likewise projecting circumierentially from the to a shaft-section 20.

socket member are rib-sections 111, inclined on one side, as shown in Eig. 11. Inclosing the open end ol" the socket member is an annular plate 15, having' a iiange 16 extending 'for a distance over the outer face of the socket and provided with inwardly-extendingrib-sections 17, corresponding to and adapted to be engaged by the rib-sections 14: of the socket member, the inclined i'aces o1 the socket-ribs 14 passing beneath the rib-sections 17 of the liange 16 and lirmly binding the socket and annular frame together. The aperture in the annular plate is smaller than the socket-cavity and is formed semispherical upon the interior and concentric to the socket-cavity to support a ball 18, secured, as by an integral sleeve 19,

the semispherical cavity in the socket 10 and is provided with grooves or channels Z1 to receive the studs 13 oi the socket member.

In assembling the improved device the ball member 18 is placed in position in the socket member 1() and the locking-ring 15 then placed over the ball, with the ribs 17 opposite the spaces between the ribs 111 of the socket member, and then rotated a short distance to iorce the wedge-shaped ribs beneath the ribs 17, with the result oi' firmly locking all the parts together, while at the same time leav`- ing the ball member free to swing in the socket to the limit of the slots 21, as above noted.

The side walls oi. the channels 21 are curved inwardly, and the sides oi the studs 13 are likewise curved outwardly, so that as the ball 18 is rotated in the socket, with the shaft-sections 2() at an angle to the shaft-section 12, the curved sides of the channels will roll with the minimum oi" friction upon the curved sides `of the studs as thesocket member, together with its shaft-section 12, is carried around with the ball 1n the same manner as the teeth ol' an ordinary pair oi gears operate. By this simple means the action is smooth and sul stantially noiseless and with a comparatively slight loss oi' power from friction.

The parts maybe cast complete and will not generally require finishing or machine work of any kind, except the drilling of the sleeves 11 19 i'or the shaft-sections.

The ball 18 closely [its i TOO The device may be of any required size to adapt it to all sizes of shafts.

1t will thus be noted that a very simply constructed, inexpensive, and eicient coupling' is produced, which may be readily applied and employed wherever universal couplings are required.

Having thus described the i-nvention, what is claimed is-d 1. A universal coupling comprising a semispherical socket having a plurality ofv inwardly-extending lugs with conveXed sides, a ring-frame having a central aperture of less diameter' than the socket-cavity for detachable connection with said socket, and a ball for attachment to a shaft-section and having' a plurality of spaced channels corresponding to and adapted to receive said convexed lugs and with the side walls of the channels curving inwardly, whereby the parts interengage with the minimum of friction during the action of the coupling.

2. A universal coupling comprising a semispherical socket member for engagement to a shaft-section and having a plurality of inwardly-extending lugs and a plurality of outwardly-extendinginclined rib-sections, a ring'- frame for inclosing said socket member and provided with inwardly-extending rib-sections for interlocking engagement by said inclined socket rib-sections and having a central aperture of less diameter than the interior of said socket, and a ball member for attachment to a shaft-section and movably engaging said socket and ring-aperture and provided with longitudinal channels for receiving'said socketlugs.

3. A universal coupling comprising a semispherical socket member for engagement to a shaft-section and having a plurality of inwardly-extending lugs with conveXed sides and a plurality of outwardly-extending inclined rib-sections, a ring-frame for inclosing said socket member and provided with inwardly-extending rib-sections for interlocking engagement by said inclined socket ribsections and having' a central aperture of less diameter than the interior of said socket, and a ball member for attachment to a shaft-section and movably engaging said socket and ring-aperture and provided with longitudinal channels having inwardly-curving side walls for receiving said socket-lugs, whereby the parts operate with the minimum of friction. ln testimony that we claim the foregoing as ourown we have hereto aiXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRIST MATSON. PETER ROBERTSON. lVitnesses:

NnLs CHRisTnNsEN, LoUIs ANDERSEN. 

